A Fountain in the Park - Hubert Robert

“Robert studied painting in Italy. During his eleven-year stay in that country he was strongly influenced by Italian vedute artists (painters of Romantic scenes) and introduced landscapes of this type into French art. Fountain in the Park belongs to Robert’s most accomplished period. It may have been inspired by the gardens of the Tuileries, or could be an imaginary arrangement without topographical accuracy.
The artist’s strong interest in landscape planning won him an appointment by King Louis XVI as ‘designer of gardens.’ Although sympathetic to the French Revolution, Robert was accused of loyalty to the Court and was imprisoned for nearly a year. Upon his release, he became one of the first directors of the Louvre.” - Seen at MoFA